Define: jaded – “dulled or satiated by overindulgence”, “worn out or wearied”

It’s easy to get jaded in Korea. It can be a fight to get to work, a fight at work, a fight to get home, and a fight to get some food. Add to that a biased mainstream media and being thousands of miles (and thousands more kilometers) from your friends and family. What’s a waygook to do?

Last month I celebrated my three-year anniversary in Korea. With the exception of a visa run to Fukuoka, I haven’t left Korean soil. Life in any country has its ups and downs, but there are definitely some things you can do to beat being jaded.

1. Get off the main road. The streets of Gangnam, Hongdae, Itaewon, and Sinchon are full of expensive shops and more people than the sidewalks can handle. While those areas are fun, they all have side streets that receive a fraction of the foot traffic. The side streets are the historic result of people not wanting to bow every time the royal entourage came through on the main road, and are good for food or just meandering through a different slice of life.

2. Check your apartment – how Koreanized is it? I would argue that your apartment is more than just a place to live – it’s a little bubble of your preferred way of life. If you want to get away from it all, your apartment should be a refuge from the outside world. Hang up your own posters, pump up the AC/DC (or your favorite music), and leave the outside world outside.

3. Remind yourself you’re a millionaire (in won, at least). Consider telling that to your unemployed friends back home – and remind yourself that your job prospects are probably a lot better here than at home. Start stockpiling that money for #9 below.

4. Jimjilbang! Go get naked and soak in some hot water. Admire (or ignore) the naked Koreans around you, and try hard to relax.

5. Pull a Seoul Sub->urban and get off at a random subway or bus stop. Go explore an area you’ve never seen or stopped at before.

6. Buy a pirated DVD from the Western world and turn off the Korean subtitles. Go get some microwave popcorn from your local convenience store and make it a movie night.

7. Go take a dance class – belly, salsa, swing, or tango lessons are all available in English around Seoul.

8. Find a way to make your favorite dish from home (or an acceptable substitute) – I’ll never forget my mom’s recipe for chunkies.

9. Consider how to make the best of the 4 months, 17 days, 5 hours and 39 minutes until your contract is up. What have you wanted to do in Asia that you won’t be able to do once you get home? You could also start researching for that trip to Laos, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Singapore, or wherever else your summer vacation might take you. It’s not too early!

10. Check your friends – it’s often said that your friends affect your attitude and outlook far more than you might realize. If all they do is complain about one thing or another, that mindset rubs off on you as well. Do something with your foreign friends – and prohibit talking about work or bitching about Korea for this one night.

The cure to being jaded is to get out of your normal routine. For some of you, that’s as simple as venturing to a new drinking establishment or trying a new restaurant. For others, it might be time for a more drastic change – a job you actually enjoy, a new location, or even getting out of Korea.

Author’s note: a version of this article was written as a guest post for Kiss my Kimchi!

© Chris Backe – 2011
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